Jayco vs ... - quality, warranty, and price

calnor · 09-04-2015, 11:05 PM

Hey,

First time TT shopper.

From a bunch of research it seems like many new TTs have issues and require repairs and warranty work.

1. Anyone purchase a Jayco that did not require any work? a unicorn?
2. How good is Jayco's warranty and how good are the dealers?
3. Do any Jayco dealers honor warranty work? even those you did not buy from? (while travelling? just cause they didn't have the model/spec you were looking for? or price did not work?) - heard some won't fix if you didn't buy from them - at least for some TT vendors
4. Anyone purchase or own Forest River Rockwood before? how do they compare? quality? warranty work? maintenance? price?

Finally, and recommended dealers in the San Francisco Bay Area 100 mile radius? anyone to stay away from?

Thanks! Very much appreciate all the feedback!

Flyrotor · 09-05-2015, 12:51 AM

I have owned three different trailers, all purchased brand new, Viking pop up, Wildwood 23BHLE (Forest River) and now a Starcraft 297BH (A Jayco company).

I may be lucky but I have not had any issues with any of the three trailers, never once did I return the trailer to the dealer for warranty work.

The only thing I have had any issues with I fried 2 batteries on the Wildwood by overcharging them and boiling them dry, of which the dealer still replaced them for me, and I killed one battery on the pop up because I did not know running them dead ruins them, I bought a new one for the pop up at a tire store. And batteries are not a reflection of the trailers, they are aftermarket products installed by dealers.

All in all I believe most people have very few problems. And because of that, you don't hear much about them. Besides if the only thing you hear about was good, you 1... Wouldn't learn from others mistakes, and 2... Would get bored reading the comments.

Newspapers/TV reporters don't make headlines out of cars that travelled without any delay or accidents, it just isn't as interesting as seeing a smashed up car and semi truck with a horrific tale to tell.

robkelly · 09-05-2015, 04:42 AM

We're on our first TT and have had no real issues. There were a few minor things (broken shade, etc.) that the dealer fixed under warranty, but nothing I couldn't have done myself, or that probably wouldn't have broken under normal conditions anyway.

IMO, and again this is our first TT, but from my experience and what I've read here, Jayco absolutely stands behind their product and the 2-year warranty is great. Flyrotor makes a fantastic point too - for the most part you only hear the bad, not the good.

We're on the wrong side of the country for dealer recommendations, sorry!

Grumpy · 09-05-2015, 05:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flyrotor

I

All in all I believe most people have very few problems. And because of that, you don't hear much about them. Besides if the only thing you hear about was good, you 1... Wouldn't learn from others mistakes, and 2... Would get bored reading the comments.

Newspapers/TV reporters don't make headlines out of cars that travelled without any delay or accidents, it just isn't as interesting as seeing a smashed up car and semi truck with a horrific tale to tell.

X-2

All three of our recent JAYCO purchases (since 2001) have been basically flawless and the issues we did have involved vendors, Coleman, Carefree and Norcold. Last Jan,with our PINNACLE, the air cond died while we were in FL and JAYCO worked with local tech to get it replaced without us even moving from our site. If you can't find a local dealer to take care of you while on the road they have mobile service people that they do work with to solve the problem. Camping Connection in Kissimmee is one that JAYCO works directly with. They have also been known to authorize you getting the repair done and reimbursing you for the full cost.

sailor · 09-05-2015, 06:36 AM

We have had only minor warranty issues with the 4 Jaycos we have owned. There have been a couple of self inflicted issues that the dealer has fixed for us. That said, I know there are dealers that will not do warranty work on units they have not sold and others that will do it willingly. I suspect this is true with other brands too. There is also a wide range of skill levels among service techs. Jayco customer service seems to be very helpful in assisting with service problems.

Caveman · 09-05-2015, 07:12 AM

I'd just like to add a little to these excellent replies, I (luckily) found it very advantageous to return to the dealer (within the first week of initial delivery) and have documented in writing exactly any issues I'd identified. I mean just not talking to the helpful sales rep but going to service and have listed on the computer in black n white your concerns, indeed if any I'm not dis-ing anything I'm just saying my two cents from personal experience. Because I returned and did this within the first week you may be surprised how often I had to reference the computer log in order to escalate the repairs, I'm left with the impression they may not of gotten the attention they deserved were it not for documenting them at the earliest opportunity. That's it I'm very glad I happened to do this thought I'd pass it along.

Ela1948 · 09-05-2015, 08:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Caveman

I'd just like to add a little to these excellent replies, I (luckily) found it very advantageous to return to the dealer (within the first week of initial delivery) and have documented in writing exactly any issues I'd identified. I mean just not talking to the helpful sales rep but going to service and have listed on the computer in black n white your concerns, indeed if any I'm not dis-ing anything I'm just saying my two cents from personal experience. Because I returned and did this within the first week you may be surprised how often I had to reference the computer log in order to escalate the repairs, I'm left with the impression they may not of gotten the attention they deserved were it not for documenting them at the earliest opportunity. That's it I'm very glad I happened to do this thought I'd pass it along.

We bought from a local to us dealership in southern Pa. We had two major issues (cracked siding and bent axle) along with several minor items that the dealership repaired. That dealership ALWAYS documented the issues that were brought to them. I never needed to go back and address the problems again after the initial contact. I firmly believe that the dealership is as important as the manufacturer.

Flapper · 09-05-2015, 09:05 AM

All RV dealers vary extremely as to the quality of the service, speed, and what work they will accept or not. Some are the worst for everything, some put non-buying-customers at the end of the line for service work, some base it on first-come-first-served. It's hard, as a lot of ratings services ("Angie's List", or similar) don't have very much to go on for RV dealerships. And searching these forums (and others) is pretty hit or miss to find anything about a particular dealer. That said, there is one national chain that seems to get far more than one would expect of bashing on-line.....

Can't speak from a great depth of experience, but our Jayco Fifth had only the most minor of warranty work done during it's two years - (leaky outside sprayer, etc. - really small stuff). Our particular dealer (Hillcrest, various Minnesota locations) has been outstanding in every way - may not be the cheapest, but they go well beyond expected every time we stop by.
Their attention and honesty with us in the days we were "just looking", a few customer reviews, and the Jayco warranty tipped us into buying. And the after service means we will be with them (and the brand) for a long, long time.

We've been so pleased with both the dealer and the brand that it is unlikely we would ever consider a different one in the future!

calnor · 09-05-2015, 10:28 AM

Caveman - excellent idea. I also found in past experience that if there's more than one item to handle, either it's well documented or people 'forget'. Great tip. Will keep it in mind.

Flyrotor - completely agreed. No news is good news. Most of these type of forums contain complaints, not praises.

Everyone - I very much appreciate your feedback. It's encouraging to hear you had good experience and that issues were resolved properly.

Overall, appears like Jayco does a good job at customer service and warranty work. I wish RV manufacturers would have better quality controls and less fixes were needed. It's mind boggling that aren't doing a thorough inspection for EVERY camper (including leak checks, blinds, etc) - it's not like they're producing millions a year... in any case, looks like Jayco is the best of a somewhat broken industry.

Tim L · 09-05-2015, 11:34 AM

My dealer was good for the sale, and I can't comment on service, as all of my repairs, I have handled. The dealer is about an hour away, and in my experience with vehicle repairs, home repairs, etc, I feel like I have to go back behind them and fix it again too often, so I try to do as much as I can, and minimize their involvement!!! As far as issues and quality, I just posted regarding the first 90 days and issues. It is in the travel trailer section.

Here: http://www.jaycoowners.com/forums/f7...tml#post338887

**Crabman** · 09-06-2015, 05:28 PM

Welcome to the forum. After nearly 6 years no major issues and only a few minor ones. Never been back to a dealer for anything....

Vaneta · 09-06-2015, 07:18 PM

I did have multiple issues with my Whitehawk. Thermostat quit working, furnace worked sometimes, and a window came off the track and ended up being a major deal because it could not be gotten back on the track without a service. All of this happened in the first month. However I will say that Jayco was very good about working with me to get the issues resolved. It just seemed that I was never going to get everything in working order. Most recently the door under the dinette fell off and it was shoddily installed as the screws had been screwed into a crevice rather than something solid.

cekkk · 09-06-2015, 08:42 PM

Our Eagle only had one minor problem that needed fixed quickly. A Jayco dealer that I did not purchase from fixed it in warranty, a matter of a slight leak onto the hall floor when DW showered. Shower drain wasn't totally seated and her hundred pounds wasn't enough to seat it. It took a few moppings to realize she was the only one with the problem. I stopped at a non-Jayco dealer on I-40 just west of Albuquerque next to the CW. They did a quick repair for me because we were traveling. Non-warranty repair.

Overhearing a dealer owner say he'd never work on a "foreign" RV, I have asked a few dealers if they'd do warranty work for a unit they did not sell. Only two would, three or four would not. But you'll go to the end of the line, which can be weeks or months.

Just remembered worn brake electrical line worn through. Had a local horse trailer dealer make the repair and later called Jayco. Got a check for the repair within a short time, even without prearranging this deal.

Unit is over four years old and we've lived in it a total of about a year and a half. Picking it up Tuesday after its first semi-major fix - replaced shot converter.

pmames · 09-10-2015, 05:01 PM

we took our new 2015Jay Flight 24 FBS camping for the first time labor Day weekend. I can say, we found nothing we do no like, and we had no issues or problems

Iraqvet05 · 09-10-2015, 06:24 PM

In two and a half years, we have only experienced minor issues that I resolved myself. I don't recall them all but one was a broken screen door latch (probably my kids fault) and a broken shower knob. I have never been back to the dealer for anything.

Camper_bob · 09-11-2015, 08:09 AM

Bought ours new in '13. The trailer has been back to the dealer once for a warranty repair. Two other items were covered under warranty, but I (happily) did the work myself. IMO Jayco is a quality product (relatively), but any warranty items are typically handled by the dealer, so shop the dealer hard.

Gunner01 · 09-11-2015, 01:32 PM

I've had 2 Designers and a Pinnacle. The first one I owned wasn't new, so it doesn't count. The second Designer I bought was a 2008 Designer (35 ft long 3 slide, don't remember the nomenclature). While it had issues Jayco was good about getting them fixed. I won't say it was trouble FREE........but most of the problems I had were from normal wear and tear.

My last trailer is a 2015 Pinnacle 36REQS. I bought it 3 June. And it has ISSUES. However, I won't go into them here, as, so far, while I haven't been able to take the trailer back to where I bought it for service (just too far to travel) I have taken it to a close Jayco dealer and have been satisfied with the work they've done so far (it's back in for more warranty work for different issues). I have been on the phone with Jayco's customer service, and they SEEM to be working to help me get my problems resolved. So right now I'm holding judgement and details of my problems, until some kind of resolution has been reached.

Would I warn you off a Jayco? No. I don't think I would. The ones I have had, mechanically, have been built like tanks, and have performed in very harsh weather most satisfactorily. HOWEVER. If you DO buy one, I wouldn't get too far from your dealer untill you've had some "shakedown" cruises close to home, so to speak. You're probably going to have some kind of issues. These are fairly complex systems, and a CERTAIN amount of bugs are probably normal.

Holding judgement

Gunner

You may also like: